


Coming Out of My Cage (With a Little Bit of Help)

by Kirazalea



Series: One Touch and I Ignite [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Assumed Relationship, First Kiss, Getting Together, M/M, Post-Episode: s03e14-15 The Boiling Rock, and zuko is a big fan of haru, haru and suki friendship, haru is a big fan of them, he's also a big fan of zuko, i would die for her any day of the week, past sokka/yue mentioned, she's a dynamite five-foot boss bitch and i like her so much, something i didn't know i needed until i was halfway through writing this, suki cares about the kyoshi warriors so much, this is absolutely zero suki hate in this story, zuko's continuing crush on pretty boys who are nice to him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:14:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24761380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kirazalea/pseuds/Kirazalea
Summary: They arrived back at the air temple sans a war balloon, but with one additional father, warship, and apparent girlfriend in tow.It was the last part that Zuko couldn't help but feel disheartened by.
Relationships: Hakoda & Katara & Sokka (Avatar), Hakoda & Zuko (Avatar), Haru & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Suki (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: One Touch and I Ignite [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1790620
Comments: 126
Kudos: 1686





	Coming Out of My Cage (With a Little Bit of Help)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pot_hud](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pot_hud/gifts).



> So pot_hud commented like  
> "🥺🥺🥺 spare sequel please?"  
> and proceeded to spout off an amazing idea, so here's my attempt at continuing something that I never planned to continue while also procrastinating several other avatar fics i should have been planning out and writing for the past 4 hours lmao, i hope this is somewhat what you were looking for, love
> 
> Title from Mr. Brightside by The Killers (mostly)

Zuko couldn’t help but smile at how happy Sokka was. He and Katara would barely let their dad out of their sight, and Sokka kept Suki close by too. Aang stood next to him, grinning at the reunion and nudging him with his elbow.

“I’m glad you all made it back from your fishing trip,” he teased. Zuko shook his head, smiling despite himself. 

“There were some pretty nasty fish,” he admitted.

Chit Sang snorted as he walked past. “I’ll say.”

Aang just blinked before moving forward to greet the man. 

Zuko shook his head lightly again, still amazing at the monk’s natural friendliness even after knowing him this long.

“We were all worried, even if some of us wouldn’t admit it,” a smooth voice said from behind him. Zuko jumped in surprise as Haru slid up beside him. Toph huffed as she walked past them, slamming her fist into Haru’s arm as she went. Haru chuckled, rubbing his arm lightly.

Zuko felt his face heating up a little at the sound and hated himself a little for it. _Agni,_ why was he like this? 

“Sorry,” he apologized awkwardly. They stood there for another moment, Haru crossing his arms and looking thoughtfully at the family in front of them.

“You like Sokka, don’t you?” he asked out of the blue.

Zuko spluttered, his face going completely red. “Wh- _what?_ Of _course_ I don’t, why- why do you ask?”

Haru shot him a knowing smile. “We’ll call it personal experience. Katara helped me break _my_ dad out of prison,” he reminded Zuko, “and she had… a _bit_ of a crush on me at the time. I figure between that and the way you haven’t been able to take your eyes off him for more than ten seconds…” 

Zuko averted his eyes, knowing that Haru was right about his starring the second he’d mentioned it.

“Is it that obvious?” he asked defeatedly.

Haru laughed quietly, the noise still acting as a gentle balm, even considering he was the cause of the situation at hand. “Only if you’re looking for it. So I’d guess those two haven’t noticed,” he said, tipping his head toward the Water Tribe siblings.

Zuko sighed, seeing the way Sokka had Suki’s hand in a near death grip as he gestured wildly. His father was laughing, Katara looked like she was trying not to smile, and Suki was grinning, her eyes crinkled happily.

“It doesn’t matter anyway,” Zuko admitted. “He’s… happy. I’m not going to ruin that.”

Haru nodded slowly. “I understand.”

Zuko glanced over at Haru and figured that if he was going to die of embarrassment anyways, he might as well get it all out there.

“You know, I have a bit of a crush on you, too. Not that I’m going to do anything about it,” he rushed to assure, “I just… thought you should know.”

Haru turned to him, smiling again. “I… kind of noticed,” he replied, bringing one hand up to the side of his neck. “Like I said you’re not the most subtle,” he teased.

“If you knew, why didn’t you say anything? Why did you keep talking to me so much?” Zuko asked, now feeling confused. If he’d noticed, wouldn’t he have asked Zuko to stop?

“I really don’t mind,” Haru said gently. “You looked like you needed a friend, especially with the way everyone treated you at first, and I figured why not me? And the more I talked to you, the more I enjoyed it. You’re truly an amazing person, Zuko.”

Zuko looked down, feeling shy at the compliment. 

“I mean it,” Haru insisted, nudging Zuko with his shoulder. “I mean, look at it this way; you have crushes on two of the people here, and _both_ times you didn’t act it in the slightest so that they would be happy and comfortable. There’s a lot of people that that wouldn’t stand true for. Not only that, you’ve left behind everything you were ever taught to help Aang because you know it’s what’s right, even if it was hard. Most people would’ve given up, or not risked it in the first place.”

“I think you give me too much credit,” Zuko mumbled.

“I don’t,” Haru replied bluntly. Zuko could tell he was amused. “No matter what you say or how much you protest, doesn’t change the fact that you’re one of the kindest people I know. You have a really good heart.”

“Thank you,” he whispered, said good heart feeling like it was currently lodged in his throat.

After another moment, Haru moved forward. “Why don’t you go get cleaned up a little,” he called behind him. Zuko watched as he said something to the other group before they all nodded and Suki followed behind Haru as the Water Tribe family moved the other way, Hakoda’s arms around both of his children as he pulled them close.

Zuko had a feeling this wasn’t going to end well for him. He sighed, and left the courtyard as well.

* * *

Haru gestured to the tiny room in front of him. “All yours,” he said.

“Home sweet home,” Suki replied sarcastically, a smile tugging her lips up as she looked around the room. They all had technically found one, even if they spent most nights camped together near the fountain.

Haru leaned against the door, folding his arms once more. He always felt better, a little more in control, when he was surrounded by his element, and he knew he needed to be very careful with how he approached this conversation. 

“So,” he started, “you’re Sokka’s girlfriend then?”

Okay, maybe he could have stood to be a _little_ more subtle, but subtlety was for non-earthbenders, as his mother liked to joke when he was younger.

Suki’s smile dimmed a little. She turned and sat slowly on the bed he’d made up for her.

“I would ask if Sokka sent you to ask, but since I’ve been glued to his side almost the whole time we’ve been here, I guess I already know the answer to that,” she joked, but the tone was a little flatter than it should’ve been.

Haru pushed himself away from the door, walking over to sit carefully on the opposite end of the bed. “That… doesn’t really sound like an answer,” he prodded gently, a little more confused. He’d expected an answer with a bit more clarity.

Suki sighed. “We did kiss,” she said. “And I really like him. But…”

Haru stayed quiet, letting her work through it on her own. He genuinely thought she would have said yes, was just asking to make sure he knew where everything stood, not wanting to give Zuko and false hope by accident, but this seemed like something else.

She sighed again, a few moments later. “I like him, and I’m pretty sure he likes me, but it’s just… not a great time. I mean, we’re in the middle of a war, we have other things we need to focus on, and I have a duty to my warriors, I can’t just…”

Haru must have made a noise, because Suki smiled again, seeing his questioning look. “I’m the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors,” she stated, sitting up a little straighter, and Haru suddenly understood.

He may have also squeaked just a little, but Suki was nice enough not to mention it.

Haru had heard about the Kyoshi Warriors growing up. He had always thought they were amazing, an elite group of people that didn’t need any bending to make a difference. In his lifetime, they’d mostly stayed close to their island, but his mother loved telling him stories about their past deeds as she put him to bed at night. He knew all about their commitment to one another and their duty to protect. He’d been a little starstruck as a child, before the Fire Nation had taken away the hope in his heart.

To know that he was currently talking to their _leader_ was beyond anything Haru had every thought possible.

“Oh,” Haru said, voice a little higher than before.

Suki smothered a laugh into her hand and Haru felt his shoulders drawing up a little.

Huh. So _this_ must have been how Zuko usually felt around him.

He felt a little bad for laughing earlier.

After clearing his throat, Haru moved swiftly forward from his embarrassment. “So… you’re not seeing Sokka, then?”

Suki stared at the floor for a moment. “No. He’s amazing, and I love him to death, but… I think we both know that we’re not ready to date each other. A part of him is still getting over… someone that he lost, and I’m happy to be with him again, but we both agreed on the way here that… well, what we both need right now is a friend, someone we can trust and talk to without anything else added to it, y’know?”

Haru thought about how he’d craved someone like that in his life for so long; how he’d grown up alone and afraid, with no one to turn to.

“Yeah,” he replied. “I know.”

They were silent for another moment, before Suki turned to him.

“So if Sokka didn’t set this all up, I’m guessing you’re here on behalf of His Royal Majesty?” she joked. 

Haru looked down, the corner of his mouth turning up a little.

“I wasn’t aware you two were so well acquainted,” he shot back.

“He burned my village down a while back,” she stated wryly.

“Oh,” Haru replied again, eyes widening. “I, uh. I hear that’s a common theme with him.”

Suki laughed. “I suppose so.” She shifted back to a more comfortable position on the bed. “I saw you talking to him earlier.” He saw her glance at him out of the corner of her eye. _“And_ I saw the way he seemed to follow Sokka around in the prison like a lost little turtleduck.”

Now it was Haru’s turn to laugh. 

* * *

Zuko poured tea for everyone after they finished eating. Chit Sang rolled his eyes while taking the offered cup, but Suki and Hakoda were both very appreciative of it. 

As he sat back down, everyone devolved into their own conversations and Zuko was happy to sit quietly. His eyes closed as he breathed in the steam coming off of his tea, the scent comforting and centering him. 

“Do you mind if I sit?” a voice asked from above him.

Zuko opened his eyes to find Suki staring at him questioningly.

“Oh,” Zuko said in surprise, before he was shifting over to make room. “Of course.”

Suki smiled at him and took a seat. “I figured I’d let them have a little time with their dad,” she said by way of explanation. Zuko looked over to see Hakoda saying something that caused his children to laugh, a pleased smile on his face.

Zuko hummed in agreement. He understood the urge. He’d done much the same on the airship on the way here. Sokka had had two of the people he cared about the most back; Zuko knew he was the last person there that Sokka had wanted to talk to.

Suki leaned a little closer. “So,” she started off before falling into an awkward silence.

Oh Agni have mercy on him. He probably should’ve seen this coming.

“I- sorry,” he said quickly. 

Suki blinked. “For what?”

Spirits, was she going to make him _say_ it? He hadn’t thought she was this cruel. 

“I… didn’t mean to stare so much,” he said self-consciously. “I promise I’ll stop, I didn’t mean to make either of you uncomfortable.”

When Suki didn’t answer back, Zuko cringed a little more and looked over. She looked confused.

“I… wasn’t uncomfortable?” It sounded almost like a question, but she had the start of a smile on her face, like she knew something he didn’t. 

“Regardless, “ Zuko continued, falling back on formality like he had so often when he was still dealing with the crew that didn’t respect and barely tolerated a teenaged leader, “it’s improper of me. I-” he paused again to swallow back the discomfort. “Sokka is with you, I shouldn’t-”

“That’s where your mistake is,” Suki cut in softly.

Now it was Zuko’s turn to blink. “It… is?”

“Yep,” she continued, voice still kind, so he figured he hadn’t offended her too badly. “I know what it looked like though, so I can’t exactly blame you for it.” It sounded like she was joking with him, but that couldn’t have been right.

“So… you’re _not_ dating Sokka?” he asked, confusion clear in his voice as his brow furrowed.

“Nope,” she replied, voice still relaxed and calm.

Zuko blinked again. “Are you _sure?”_

Suki laughed quietly, her eyes closing. _“Yes_ I’m sure.”

“Oh.”

Zuko… didn’t know what was going on. He’d _thought_ he did, but, as always, clearly he was wrong.

“So, you _don’t_ like Sokka?” he asked dubiously. He knew he wasn’t the best with anything that had to do with emotions, but he couldn’t be _that_ bad, could he?

“I _do_ like Sokka,” she admitted, and Zuko felt his heart drop, even as a voice in his head screamed that this wasn’t exactly a surprise. “But… I don’t think I’m ready for a relationship right now.” Suki had her bottom lip pulled between her teeth and was chewing on it lightly as she watched Sokka and Hakoda. She turned back to look at Zuko again. “I care about him a lot, and I know he cares about me too, but my girls are still out there, imprisoned, and my first duty is to them,” she stated firmly. “I think… if things were a little different, the kiss we shared would’ve been among the first instead of possibly the last, but I can’t be what he would need me to be right now, and that wouldn’t be fair to him.” She glanced over slyly at him. “Maybe if he’s still single after this war is over and I’ve gotten everyone settled again…” She trailed off teasingly as Zuko felt himself blush, and Zuko could definitely see why Sokka had been so enamored by her.

Well. He’d already known _why,_ he supposed. He’d seen her take down the warden and half of his guard in about a minute flat too, after all.

“But for now,” she continued again, “I _really_ think you should take a chance. He lights up every time you talk to him, I don’t think he could be more obvious with how he feels if he tried.”

The heat in Zuko’s cheeks kicked up another notch as he lowered his head to hide a pleased smile. Suki’s hand closed gently over his own and squeezed encouragingly before she stood.

“Katara, could you help me for a moment, please?” she asked, pulling the Water Tribe girl away with a pleading look.

As the two left, Haru stood up, ushering Teo and The Duke down the hall as he talked about something or other that he wanted to test out with them. He was pretty sure he was the only one that saw the wink Haru sent his way.

Zuko noticed Hakoda smiling into his cup before he set it down and placing a bracing hand on his son’s shoulder.

“Aang,” the man called softly. When the monk’s head perked up, Hakoda continued. “I was wondering if you could give me the official Air Nomad tour?”

Aang smiled widely and jumped up. Toph scoffed and dropped to her feet as well from where she’d been perched on a pillar. “If you want a _real_ tour, I’d be happy to assist,” she said boldly. “I could find my way around better than Twinkle Toes here with my _eyes_ closed.”

Hakoda smiled at Aang’s vaguely offended noise and rested his hands on both of their shoulders. “Why don’t we put that to the test, then?” he said as he herded them down one of the halls. 

Zuko didn’t know what it meant that all three of them smiled at him before they left.

At a sharp look from Hakoda, Chit Sang rolled his eyes once more, but got up and followed after them.

“And then there were two?” Sokka said, sounding just as confused as Zuko, but with humor hidden in the words.

Zuko flushed a little. “I guess?” He heard the other boy huff out a laugh before getting up and walking over.

“I guess we have the fire to ourselves, then,” Sokka said as he plopped down next to him. He was close enough that if Zuko leaned over a little, he’d be pressed up against him.

“Yeah,” Zuko agreed, not knowing what else to say.

They couldn’t have planned this, right? _Haru_ at least wouldn’t do that to him?

“I wanted to say thank you again,” Sokka said quietly, breaking the near silence between them. “You didn’t have to come with me.”

Zuko leaned forward enough to look at Sokka’s face as he stared at the fire.

“You don’t have to thank me,” Zuko replied, just as quiet. “I know how much your father means to you. I can see why; he’s a good man.”

Sokka turned to look at him, something like sorrow in his eyes. “He likes you, you know.”

Zuko blinked again. He hadn’t known that. “I’m glad,” he said, bowing his head just a little.

“He was a little hesitant at first, thought you were a threat when I mentioned that you were in there with us, but he took to you really quickly. And once he saw how damn far you’d go to protect us?” Sokka leaned his head back, smiling upside down at Zuko. “I think he was practically going through the adoption rites in his head where we were standing.”

Zuko felt something in his chest warm at the thought of the man’s approval.

“Speaking of,” Sokka continued, “we _really_ need to have a talk about you trying to sacrifice yourself.”

Zuko turned away. “I wasn’t-”

Sokka turned to fully face him. “You might not have meant to, but you came a little close for comfort a few times there. None of us want to lose you.”

Zuko dropped his gaze to the ground. “I don’t know if _that’s_ quite true.”

“Okay, well Katara can hold a grudge like no other, so that doesn’t count,” he said amused. “You know, one time when we were kids, Dad took us fishing and I apparently ‘stole’ _her_ fish? She would barely talk to me for _days._ ”

Zuko smiled a little bit, imagining it.

“It took the combined force of our parents, Gran-Gran, _and_ Bato to get her to forgive me for my transgression,” he continued dramatically, a smile brightening his face.

Zuko’s own smile widened in response as he looked away. “Glad to know it’s not just me,” he said sarcastically.

“She _will_ come around,” Sokka promised. “It’ll just be on her own time.”

Zuko nodded. He knew he deserved her ire, even if he wished things could be different. He’d give her as much time as she wanted, and maybe a few extra days just to be sure.

“I think you’ve already taken a few pretty decent steps. She missed Dad just as much as I did.”

“I’m glad you guys have him back,” Zuko said softly. “You both deserve to be happy.”

Sokka smiled gently at him. “So do you, you know. Regardless of what you or anyone else thinks.”

“Sokka, I…” Zuko couldn’t get the words out as he stared at the other boy. The firelight dancing across his face was mesmerizing and his bright blue eyes were even brighter with the red clothes he was still wearing. Zuko thought about Suki’s words, about the smiles and the winks and he rushed forward, pressing his lips carefully to Sokka’s.

He didn’t notice how badly he was shaking until he felt Sokka’s hand come up to cup his face.

He finally relaxed when Sokka started kissing back.

* * *

When Haru shuffled back in, ready to go to sleep, he saw Zuko sitting further back with Sokka as they talked quietly. They’re hands were connected.

And if he smiled into his makeshift pillow, then no one was around to see it.

**Author's Note:**

> Suki just wants good things for Sokka and, after finding out that Zuko isn’t as horrible as he usually appears to be at first glance, she’s 100% down with helping those two along.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed! Feel free to leave a comment, I love getting them and hearing people's thoughts!  
> And please don't be scared to point out any mistake in spelling or words choice or anything, I may or may not have posted this without reading through it again, so there's a decent possibility that I might have missed a few things


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